Earlier this month, ESPN informed MLB it was opting out of the final three years (2026-28) of its $550 million per season contract with baseball after this year. As part of the dissolution, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred wrote in a memo obtained by The Athletic ’s Evan Drellich that the league has “not been pleased with the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN’s platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage.